There are five mental health triage schemes across the Thames Valley area in partnership with three different NHS trusts and at least one local authority, in which mental health professionals work alongside the police to assist in the appropriate support and management of people experiencing a mental health crisis. Mental health professionals provide police with advice and guidance on how to manage risk and ensure that people who report to the police in crisis receive appropriate care and support.

Various kinds of triage service (‘street triage’ or ‘community triage’) are provided by health and policing partners in different parts of the country but the primary functions are consistent: to reduce the inappropriate use of section 136 of the Mental Health Act; to ensure that the police are appropriately supported in managing mental health crises; and to provide people of all ages with access to the right support from professionals.

There are five mental health triage schemes across the Thames Valley area in partnership with three different NHS trusts and at least one local authority, in which mental health professionals work alongside the police to assist in the appropriate support and management of people experiencing a mental health crisis. Mental health professionals provide police with advice and guidance on how to manage risk and ensure that people who report to the police in crisis receive appropriate care and support.

The mental health triage service was set up following a pilot phase between June 2014 and March 2015, in partnership with Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. An evaluation of the triage service during the pilot recognised the service’s work with children and young people. The Thames Valley mental health triage service had contact with 70 children and young people under the age of 18 (5.2% of those seen by the service); the youngest person was 11 years old at the time. All children and young people seen were immediately referred to children and young people’s mental health services for follow-up. During the pilot, the Thames Valley service had a provision in place to ensure that all children and young people were referred to children and young people’s mental health services, and where possible were seen by the duty doctor. However, the service made it clear in its own evaluation that while children and young people were always referred to children and young people’s mental health services, protocols for working with this specific population could be clearer. Some positive outcomes of the service include an improved experience for people of all ages using the service and good collaborative work between agencies.